Local Girl Doesn't Mind New Friend is Two-Faced
by starspangledpumpkin
Summary: In the library, Viktor Krum is respectful and quietly charming. Outside he is wild, witty, and fun. Hermione likes both sides of Viktor, but this could lead to trouble. For Quidditch League. COMPLETE. WILL NOT CONTINUE SO DON'T ASK.


**Alright, Alright, this is a story I've always wanted to write but never got the chance. Now I can.**

**Wigtown Wanderers**

**Chaser 1**

**Prompt: **Write about a character(s) being perceived as two-faced but actually are just misunderstood

**Additional Prompts: **1\. Characteristic traits (that of a Sagittarius), 6. Color crimson, 15. Passion

**Word count:** 1747

**Stacked With:** Quidditch League; Individual Challenges & Fills; Snicket Fence

**Individual Challenges:** Short Jog; Gryffindor MC; Quiet Time; Neurodivergent; Ethnic & Present

**Representations:** Takes place in a library part of the time

**Bonus Challenges:** Bee Haven

**PSA: **I don't do accents. I'll have characters flub words and drop articles (like Slavic people drop 'the' and 'a' and stuff), but I don't write the accent. I have very few exceptions to this rule.

~o0o~

The day after the Champions were announced, Hermione immediately went to the library to research magical contracts and law. There had to be a way to get Harry out of this competition before he got hurt. She made her way to the archives and pulled every book that could be remotely about the subject off the shelf and carried it to a table. She sat down and got to reading. The back of the library was quieter, colder, and more isolated than the front of the library. It was her go to spot.

"Excuse me," a voice asked. "May I sit with you?"

Hermione looked up and saw Viktor Krum standing there. She felt a small sense of smugness. If Ron and Harry would just study with her, they could have met someone who shared their passion for Quidditch. Not that she would tell them so.

"Of course," she said and moved the books. "Pardon the mess."

He sat down, set his school books on the table, and opened up a parchment filled notebook.

"I'm Hermione," said Hermione, extending her hand.

Viktor shook it. "Nice to meet you Her- Her-my" he stuttered a bit and frowned. It occurred to her that English was not his first and might not even be his second language.

"My family calls me Mimi," she said. "Nobody else here uses it."

"Then you can call me 'V'," said Viktor.

Hermione smiled slightly and nodded. They didn't speak anymore after that, choosing instead to focus on their individual subjects, but it was comfortable. It was nice.

"Do you come to library often?" Viktor asked when they were packing up.

"Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday are my normal library days," she said. "See you, V."

Thursday, Ron and Harry were still acting stupid, so Hermione went down to the lake to read a book. While she was there, she saw Viktor walking along the shoreline. Odd, he seemed much clumsier yesterday. Like a seagull. Clumsy on land, an acrobat in the air. Speaking of acrobatics…

Viktor got a running start and started doing cartwheels and flips so effortlessly Hermione began to wonder if she could do it, too. He landed on his feet and she clapped. He bowed a couple times.

"Blagodarya! Tova e mnogo milo ot vasha strana." Viktor sat down next to her. "Hello."

"Er, I'm Mimi," she said, hoping he hadn't forgotten about her so soon. After all, he was a celebrity and she was just another face in the crowd.

He grinned. "Call me V."

He must've found it funny, and though she had a difficult time with interpreting other people's emotions due to her autism, it didn't seem cruel.

"So," he said. "You like books?"

She looked down at the book in her hands and nodded. "Very much so. It's basically ninety percent of my personality."

Viktor laughed.

"Where did you learn to, uh…" she gestured with her hands.

"Ah, now that is interesting tale," said Viktor, taking a seat beside her. "My grandfather, Ilya Zdravkov, was part of Amazing Flying Zdravkovs. He gets into relationship with Ringmaster's daughter. Instead of firing him, Ringmaster takes him on as apprentice. Grandfather runs entire circus! He makes sure his children learn acrobat as well. While he is not at Durmstrang anyway. Circus grows, grandfather becomes very rich."

"Did he teach you?"

"Ah, no," said Viktor. "He was killed by Grindelwald."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"It happened long time ago," said Viktor. "We still learn acrobat and tightrope. Keep his memory alive. Our other side is Roma. It is not easy being only ones at Durmstrang who are Roma."

"I understand that a bit," said Hermione, looking at her brown skin. "I was adopted by white parents, so they don't understand how mean kids can be when you look different. I don't want to talk about that, though."

"I understand."

"How many siblings do you have?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Five," said Viktor. "Youngest is brother. He is not nearly as good looking as I am and he is so serious."

The line was a little mean, but the delivery made her laugh.

"What about you?"

"Uh, I have a sister," she said. "Paulina. She's deaf and we were always told that she would never be adopted. Roger and Beatrice Granger proved that wrong." She gave Viktor a funny look. "I don't think I ever told anyone that before."

"I just have that type of face," said Viktor. "We can move on to lighter topic."

"Thank you," Hermione tucked her hair back. "So, V, what is your passion in life?"

He tugged on the crimson sleeves of his uniform. "Well, I like Quidditch, but my real passion is linguistics. I can speak six languages, though, English is still new."

"I think you speak English better than half the guys at this school," said Hermione.

"That is because I practice," said Viktor. "My brother doesn't practice as much because he is afraid of being wrong and laughed at, but he wants to be linguist as well."

They talked until the dinner bell tolled.

"Do you know where kitchens are?" Viktor asked. "I cannot go anywhere and would prefer dinner in privacy."

"Oh, sure," said Hermione. "You just turn right at the front doors and then down the corridor, stop at a painting of a bowl of fruit. You tickle the pair and it becomes a doorknob, though I will warn you, Hogwarts uses slave labor in the form of house-elves. I don't like it, but nobody else seems to have a problem with it. Not even the elves."

"Gilded cage," said Viktor. "If you like, I can give you legislature from Bulgaria and other countries that freed house-elves."

"Oh, yes, please!"

Every day, Hermione saw Viktor. In the library he was quiet and demure. A perfect gentleman engrossed in knowledge and respectful to his surroundings. Outside of the library he was… wild. They never met in the same spot twice and, one time, Hermione was sitting in a window reading, Viktor saw her from the courtyard and scaled up the wall like it was nothing. He taught her Bulgarian and she helped him with English and even basic sign. He was funny in a way she could understand from his subtle humor and visual jokes in the library, to his puns and one-liners everywhere else. She didn't mind the personality changes, he was just refreshing and she found herself getting a little bit of a crush on him. It was nice to have someone in her corner for once and he even offered to help her research ways to get Harry out of the Triwizard Tournament.

Hermione looked forward to seeing him and nearly raced to the library after class one day to meet him. They met in their usual corner away from prying eyes and giggling fans.

"Hello, Mimi," he said.

"Hi, V," she replied breathlessly.

"So, the Yule Ball was announced," he said.

"Yes, it was," she replied. "I'm rather looking forward to it. I love to dance."

"As Champion," he said, "it is expected I am accompanied to the ball. I can think of no one better, than you, Mimi. I think we would have a nice time. I-If you are uncertain, I have prepared a twenty-one point presentation to convince you."

Hermione giggled and surprised both of them by kissing his cheek. "I'd love to."

Viktor smiled softly. "Shall we?"

Hermione nodded and sat down across from them so they could begin going through the contract law books he asked his father to send.

The next day, she and Viktor were sitting on top of an unused tower and eating gummy creatures from Hogsmeade.

"So, do you have a date to the ball?" he asked with a grin.

Thinking he was being cute, Hermione laughed. "Of course. I'm going with you."

"Oh, that's right," he said. "I am looking forward to sweeping you off your feet."

"I think you already have," she said and felt her ears warm up when he kissed her cheek.

Hermione's excitement for the Yule Ball was nearly diminished when Ron acted like a real prat by thinking no one asked her. She had thought she was getting a crush on him, but the boy she knew seemed to be getting farther and farther away each day. It didn't matter, she now knew someone who had a zest for life and still respected the library and, most importantly, her. Sure, she didn't want to be anything more than good friends now, but when they both grew up and matured... who knew?

The night of the Yule Ball, she straightened her hair with some Sleekeazy's Hair Potion and twisted it into an updo she found in Lavender's copy of _Witch Weekly_. Before she left for school, Mum taught her how to do her makeup, and for once, Hermione felt beautiful in a world that tried to convince her that she was ugly. Even after her hair had sprung back and her face was bare, she planned to walk with her head a little higher.

Nothing was going to bring her down tonight and she couldn't wait to dance the night away with Viktor.

Humming to herself, Hermione went down to the Great Hall and pretended for a moment that she was Belle from _Beauty and the Beast_ walking down the stairs to meet her unlikely prince. When she reached the bottom step, she was greeted by Viktor and… Viktor?

Hermione blinked. That mascara she accidentally poked her eye with had her seeing double.

"Mimi, this is Valko."

"Mimi, you know my brother, Viktor."

The two boys paused after their introductions and gave each other an odd look.

"I'm sorry," said Hermione. "There are _two_ of you?"

"Yes," they said.

"Okay, let me wrap my head around this," she said. "Who have I been studying in the library with?"

"Me, Viktor."

"Uh-huh, and who have I been watching parkour around Hogwarts?"

"Me, Valko." Valko tipped his head. "You had no idea there were two of us?"

"Well, you didn't exactly tell me, what was I supposed to think?" Hermione demanded. "Was this some kind of joke to you?"

"No," said Viktor. "But as identical twins, we get mixed up all the time."

"And so we both go by the nickname 'V,'" Valko finished.

"Mr. Krum, please line up with the other Champions," said Professor McGonagall.

"Well, that might depend on which brother Mimi decides to go with," said Valko.

"Of course," said Viktor. "It is entirely her decision and whoever she chooses will sit at Champions table for the duration of dinner."

Hermione looked back and forth between the two of them, both of their faces earnest and expectant.

"Oh, no."


End file.
